Judge OKs 'timeline' lawsuit against Facebook

Allows users to highlight lives online in chronological order

(AP) A Chicago-based social media company called Timelines can sue Facebook over allegations that it violated the smaller firm’s trademark on the word “timeline,” a federal judge ruled.

Timelines launched a website called Timelines.com in 2009 that enables users to track historical events and their personal lives online. Two years later, Facebook Inc. launched a major new feature it called “timeline,” which similarly allows users to highlight their lives online in chronological order.

The Chicago company filed its lawsuit weeks after Facebook introduced its “timeline” feature.